Corroded Wind
by Imperial-sama
Summary: Dark's life sucks. That is, until Vaati enters the scene. Falling for the wind mage at first sight, Dark must make Vaati fall in love with him and keep his feelings a secret from his creator, or risk death. Spoilers for OoT and MC. Dark Link/Vaati
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING: Spoilers for Ocarina of time and possibly Minish Cap in Author's note! Read at your own risk!**

**Hello, everyone! Imperial-sama here with a new story for you all! So, as you all know, November is now over, which, sadly, means Nanowrimo is also over, for this year, anyway. So, this was the story I was working on for that whoooooole month. I will probably edit plenty of stuff out of this story, mainly because it is useless. Anyway, I noticed that there was a HUGE lack of Dark Link and Vaati as a couple on here, most stories pair both of them with Link. So, I decided to add to the stories involving Dark Link and Vaati as a couple! **

**Anyway, this story will take place in Ocarina of Time, but it will also have some elements of Minish Cap thrown in there, too. So, I'm kinda combining the two games. However, somethings will have to be changed...but I will try to stick as close to canon as possible, I promise! But sometimes, I will have to change canon a little, sorry about that everyone! I just wanted to tell you all that so you all would not get too confused and remember: if any part is confusing, then you can always message me!**

**WARNING: This story will contain yaoi, because despite the fact that Vaati looks very girly, he is one hundred percent male. All of the romance will mainly be between Dark and Vaati, but will also contain hints of yaoi between Link and Sheik. Speaking of Sheik, he will be a guy in this story. There might be some lemons in later chapters, there will be violence because Ganondorf is a violent person, there might be some OOCness, And the most important warning of all, THIS STORY WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR MINISH CAP AND OCARINA OF TIME! These are both great games, and I do not want to spoil these wonderful games for anyone.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Legend of Zelda. Nintendo does. If I owned Legend of Zelda, then Zelda would be less annoying. **

**Anyway, that is enough of my rambling! On with the story!**

Chapter 1: Changing Winds

_'Another failure.'_ Dark Link thought, staring at the dark mirror in front of him. Currently, he was spying on Link's progress through a dungeon. As usual, the hero moved through the temple with almost no trouble at all, killing any monsters that came his way. Soon, he would arrive in the boss room.

Dark sighed, laying down on his bed. He couldn't understand why Ganondorf just couldn't spy on Link himself. Usually, it was Dark who went out into the field and went into the dungeons to try to stop Link. Even though he was defeated in all of the battles with the hero, Dark was never killed. There was a reason that he was the strongest shadow in Ganon's army, after all.

Everything was normal up until three weeks ago, when Ganon took him out of the field. Dark Link remembered it like it was yesterday...

* * *

><p>Dark Link was sitting in his room, laying down on his bed. He had nothing to do at the moment, so he settled for staring at the ceiling, musing.<p>

What was he thinking about? Why, he was thinking about what he pretty much thought about everyday, his existence.

His sole purpose was to defeat the Hero of Time. He was created in the hero's image, except evil, but that was the thing that bothered him the most: he was a shadow. Technically, he wasn't even a human. He was just an artificial being created from dark magic.

A knock was heard, snapping Dark Link out of his thoughts.

"Come in." the shadow being called, sitting up.

A Gerudo woman entered the room, peering at Dark Link for a few minutes before speaking.

"Um...Lord Ganondorf would like to see you." the servant girl whispered, nervously looking down at the ground. Dark Link only tsked before standing up and stretching.

"Alright, I'll be right down." he said. He brushed past her, heading down the hall to the throne room. As he walked down the hall, Dark Link heard the other servants whispering about him. It was no secret that many of the women in Ganon's fortress thought he was handsome. They always stared at him, whispering and giggling when he walked by. However, Dark didn't feel anything for any of the women. Sure, there were some beautiful servants serving Ganon, but Dark Link felt no attraction to them whatsoever.

He only ignored the women and continued on his way. Within a few minutes, he arrived in the throne room. He bowed in front of Ganon, beginning to speak.

"What is it you wanted to see me about, Lord Ganondorf?" he asked.

"Rise." the Gerudo king replied, watching as Dark obeyed before continuing to speak.

"I want you to keep an eye on the Kokiri boy." Ganon said.

"Why, Lord Ganondorf? Shouldn't I be in the dungeons?" Dark asked.

"You dare question me?" Ganondorf roared.

"N-no! I was just curious!" Dark stammered, trying not to anger the dark lord. Call him weak, but he wanted to live, thank you very much.

"If you must know, I'm going away for a few weeks to talk with someone who can help us get rid of that pest once and for all."

Dark Link opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by Ganon.

"You should start your new duties today, Dark Link." It wasn't a suggestion, it was a command.

"But Lord-" Dark was interrupted by Ganon.

"Perhaps I was not clear enough. I meant start your new duties _now_." Ganon commanded, leaving no room for any protests. Dark Link could only bow and obey.

"As you wish, Lord Ganondorf."

* * *

><p>Dark sighed. Ganandorf didn't even tell him who he was talking to. As far as he knew, there were no other villains in Hyrule. Who could Ganon be talking to?<p>

He looked in the mirror again, seeing that Link had finally arrived in the boss room. The hero looked around the room, being greeted by a dozen portraits of blank landscapes. The paintings showed a dark scene with dead trees leading up to a gloomy castle. Certainly not a very cheerful scene. Here, Link would face Phantom Ganon, another disposable shadow creature created by Ganondorf.

The green-clad boy walked up to a painting, running a hand over the surface. That is, until he heard a laugh.

_'Well, looks like the battle's about to begin.'_ Dark Link thought.

Link turned around, seeing that Phantom Ganon had made his appearance. To the hero, the spirit looked just like the real Ganon, horse and all.

And then the false Ganon ripped his own face off. Now the hero saw the true face of his opponent, a skull with flashing eyes.

Dark watched as his mirror image got into a battle stance when Phantom Ganon disappeared into one of the paintings. The green clad man pulled out his bow and prepared an arrow, aiming at a painting. He looked around the room, trying to see which painting his opponent would emerge from. He found the phantom, only one problem: there were two of them.

Dark only tsked, this was the same trick Phantom Ganon used with all of his opponents. In battle, the evil spirit would disappear into one of six paintings, making a decoy of himself. So, it would look like there were two phantoms, when in reality there was only one. The decoy phantom would turn away before coming out of the painting, while the real phantom would attack his opponent.

_'Let's see if the so called 'hero' can see the difference.'_ Dark thought, a smirk on his face.

He did. As soon as he saw the fake phantom turn back, Link whirled around and shot an arrow at his real opponent. Phantom Ganon only retreated into another painting, no doubt going to repeat his earlier actions. Dark Link's expression quickly turned into a frown. This could be bad.

'_That was just a fluke. He won't be able to defeat Ganon's shadow.'_ Dark tried to reassure himself. However, something still told him this battle would ultimately end in Link's victory.

Link landed another hit. And another. And another. Soon, his opponent's stead had vanished, and the spirit was forced to leave his paintings behind. Now Phantom Ganon was facing his opponent head on.

Dark Link only shook his head, he could tell defeat was inevitable.

Phantom Ganon fired an orb of magic at Link, who only reflected it with a slash of his sword. The first reflected shot missed, but the ones that followed it did not. Again and again the boss of the forest temple desperately tried to land a hit on the hero, failing each time. His magic was used against him and with each blow that was dealt to him, he was getting weaker.

The process continued until the phantom gave a screech of pain, becoming limp and floating to the middle of the room. Blue flames slowly began to consume the phantom's body as a void opened in the middle of the room.

Dark was about to disband the image before he heard Ganondorf's voice.

"Hey kid, you did quite well. It looks like you may be gaining some slight skill, but you've only defeated my phantom. When you fight me, it won't be so easy!" the dark lord started.

Dark Link's eyes only widened. If Ganon was watching Link this whole time, then what was he doing? Ganon continued to speak.

"What a useless creation that ghost was! I'll banish it to the gap between dimensions!"

Dark only cringed as Ganon's phantom shrieked once more before the blue flames completely consumed it. The shadow being quickly looked away and disbanded the picture. He didn't want to see anymore.

The fact that Phantom Ganon was so easily disposed of for one failure slightly frightened Dark. After all, he had failed plenty of times and yet, he was allowed to live. He had heard of servants gossiping about other failed experiments, Dark Links that Ganon had created in the past.

Shadow warriors who were too weak to accomplish their mission, and were quickly annihilated.

Even though Dark liked to think he was different, deep inside he knew he wasn't. He could be disposed of as quickly as Ganon's phantom was, just for failure. From what Dark had heard about the other shadows, each one was made with one goal in mind: to kill the hero of time. However, none of them could do it. They were all sent to an early grave at Link's hands.

Dark always wondered why he wasn't killed after his first failure. He had faced the hero many times, and always lost. Sure, he was always beaten for failing his missions, but never disposed of.

_'Maybe Ganon doesn't have enough power to generate another shadow being?'_ Dark thought, trying to come up with an explanation as to why he was still alive.

_'Nah, Ganon's the lord of darkness. Of course he still has plenty of power to create another shadow being.'_ Dark thought again.

After fifteen minutes of thinking, Dark still couldn't come up with an answer. He definitely knew that Ganon had no attachment to him whatsoever. Everyone knew Ganondorf was merciless to everyone, even his own subjects. Dark sighed and laid back on his bed. This day was filled with so many damn questions.

Who was Ganon meeting with?

Would Link succeed in stopping Ganondorf?

And most important of all, how many mistakes would Dark be allowed to make before he was killed?

**And...that was the first chapter! I really hope you all enjoyed it! Also, guess who is coming in the next chapter?**

**Anyway, as always, reviews, favorites, and subscriptions are always appreciated! They also motivate me to edit the next chapter faster and post it. Not to mention they also allow me to see if anyone is enjoying the story or not... Anyway, please review, subscribe, or favorite and remember: Constructive criticism is always welcomed and appreciated! Have a wonderful day!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello hello everyone and welcome to the second chapter! I decided to post it early because life has just been awesome this week. Thank you to anyone who reviewed, subscribed, or favorited! You people encouraged me to post the next chapter! **

**WARNING: Possible OOCness and some small spoilers for Ocarina of Time and Minish Cap.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Legend of Zelda. I only own my OC, Anri. **

Chapter 2: Meet Your New Ally

"Hey! Wake up in there! Lord Ganondorf wants you!" A feminine voice called from outside Dark's bedroom door. She was one of the dark lord's many servants, sent to fetch Dark Link. She had been at this for fifteen minutes now, banging on the door to try to wake Dark Link up. She banged on the door, trying to get the shadow being's attention.

Said shadow being was on his bed, sleeping. He groggily opened his eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the light.

_'Did I fall asleep last night?'_ Dark thought, rubbing his eyes.

"Oh come on! OPEN UP!" the same female voice called again, she seemed to be irritated.

Dark looked toward the door, rolling his eyes. What did she want?

"What is it?" he asked.

"Lord Ganondorf wants to see you! Don't you have functioning ears?" the woman on the other side of the door gave a frustrated cry.

_'Goddesses, is everyone here a bitch?'_ Dark thought. He usually wasn't a morning person, and the angry woman on the other side of his door wasn't helping. Rolling his eyes, he got out of his bed, stretching before going to the bathroom to prepare for the day. He didn't give a crap if that servant kept yelling, he wasn't going outside without at least brushing his teeth.

He looked in the mirror, examining himself. His silvery hair was a mess, but other then that, everything seemed to be in order. He picked up a brush and began to comb his hair. He knew it wasn't wise to keep the dark lord waiting, but he was too tired to give a crap. After combing his hair, Dark brushed his teeth. He then walked back into his bedroom and put on his usual outfit, a black tunic with grey tights and black boots.

"Get out here, NOW!" the woman on the other side of the door roared.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming!" Dark called, ticked off. He opened the door, only to meet the face of said woman. She was wearing the classic Gerudo uniform with the baggy red pants, the red veil, and of course, the red shirt that exposed her stomach. Her red hair was about shoulder length and was left down.

"It's about damn time." she huffed. "Come on."

She started to walk down the hall, Dark following her.

"So do you know what Lord Ganondorf wants?" Dark asked, walking side by side with the servant girl.

"No, I don't." the woman replied, not even looking at Dark.

_'What does he want me for?'_ Dark thought. Ganon usually told his servant girls about his plans, right? The two continued to walk down the hall until they reached the door leading to the throne room.

"Well, here it is. Now go in there before Lord Ganondorf has your hide." the Gerudo girl grunted. She crossed her arms, watching Dark open the door and enter.

As usual, Ganon sat on his throne, but he didn't seem to notice Dark yet. At the moment, the dark lord was talking to someone. However, Dark couldn't see who the Gerudo king was talking to. In fact, the woman Ganon was talking to didn't look like anyone the shadow being had seen in his life. She didn't even look like she belonged to the Gerudo tribe. She kinda looked like she was Hylian, but the color of her hair and her strange clothes threw the shadow being off. The woman wasn't very tall, she would probably come to Dark's shoulders. She sported a purple cloak, hat, and lavender hair that reached the middle of her back. Dark thanked the goddesses that his lord was distracted.

It was probably best that Ganon didn't know Dark took his time getting here. Maybe Dark could make him think that-

"Ah, Dark Link. You have finally arrived."

Shit. Well, there goes all hopes of Ganon not noticing he was late. Well, at least he didn't seem angry. In fact, the Gerudo king seemed...happy. Well, that was a first. Usually the dark lord was only happy when he was making others suffer.

"Lord Ganondorf." Dark greeted, bowing.

"Vaati, this is my creation, Dark Link. He will be showing you around my fortress as well as watching over you. I suggest you both start getting used to each others' presence, since you'll both be seeing each other often." Ganon told the beauty next to him.

Vaati turned around, examining Dark Link for a few moments before turning back around. The Gerudo king only chuckled.

"Not taking a liking to my creation?" he said, smirking.

Vaati only shrugged. "It's not that." he said.

Dark's eyes widened. Well, that voice didn't sound like a woman's. Oh well, maybe she just had a deep voice.

_'Plenty of girls had deep voices, right? Oh dammit, why don't I know more about women? I'm surrounded by them!' _the shadow being thought.

"Dark Link, this is Vaati. He will be staying with us from now on. It is your job to show him around." Ganon explained, pointing toward the purple clad man beside him.

"He?" Dark asked, making Ganondorf roar in laughter.

"You thought he was a woman?"

Dark only blushed. "W-well, uh..."

Ganondorf only continued to laugh while Vaati glared at Dark. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that the mage was a little more then pissed off. The purple haired beauty turned to the shadow being, scowling at him. If looks could kill, poor Dark would have been a puddle on the floor under the stare of the wind mage.

"Dark Link, you may show Vaati to his room now. It will be right next to yours." Ganon suddenly said, having stopped laughing.

"Yes, Lord Ganondorf." Dark Link mumbled, looking down.

"I didn't quite hear you, Dark Link." Ganon said, glaring.

"I said yes, Lord Ganondorf!" Dark Link replied.

Ganondorf only nodded as Vaati began to walk toward Dark. Now that he got a good look at his new ally, Dark saw that the mage had pale skin complimenting his long, purple locks. Some bangs covered one of Vaati's red eyes, giving him a mysterious air about him. Upon closer inspection, Dark noticed Vaati had a scar under his visible eye.

He looked beautiful.

"Are you just going to stare at me all day or are you going to show me to my room?" Vaati growled.

"Eh?" Dark stammered, blinking. He didn't notice he was staring.

"I asked you if you were going to show me to my room." Vaati repeated, now getting irritated.

"Oh yeah, sure. Sorry." Dark apologized, nervously rubbing the back of his head. "Here, follow me."

The two men walked out of the room, leaving a smirking Ganon behind.

* * *

><p>The first few moments of walking with Vaati were filled with an awkward silence for Dark. He supposed the new addition to Ganon's crew was still angry at him for the fact Dark mistook him for a woman. Swallowing, the shadow being tried to start some conversation.<p>

"I'm sorry for calling you a woman earlier..." Dark apologized.

"It's fine, I'm used to it." Vaati replied, not even turning to face Dark.

"Um...I'm Dark Link, but everyone calls me Dark. What's your name?" Dark asked.

"I'm Vaati, but you should know that. Ganondorf introduced us just a few moments ago, did he not?"

"Well... yeah, but-" Dark was interrupted by the purple clad-man.

"Look, I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to gain power. I don't care if we have to work together, but I will only work with you when absolutely necessary." Vaati said, glaring.

_'Well, that was harsh.'_ Dark thought. He stayed silent for the rest of the walk.

They continued to walk through the halls until they arrived in front of Vaati's new room.

"Well, here you are." Dark said. "That's your room"

"Thank you." Vatti replied. He was about to open the door and walk into his new bedroom until Dark stopped him.

"Wait! Do you...need any help settling in?"

"No, I don't. I can move myself in just fine, thank you very much." Vaati replied, giving Dark another glare. He didn't say another word as he opened the door and walked into his new bedroom, closing the door behind him and leaving Dark in the hall.

Said shadow being could only stare blankly at the door, lost in thought.

_'So this was the person Ganon was talking to.'_ he thought. He certainly didn't look evil. Hell, he was beautiful. Dark was absolutely positive that by tomorrow all of the women in the fortress would be after him. Before Vaati came, the only men in the castle were Ganondorf and Dark, so the women in the fortress didn't have that much to choose from. Dark only sighed. He hoped the servants wouldn't scare Vaati too much. The shadow slowly turned away from the door and walked into his own room, flopping down on his bed and staring at the ceiling.

He wanted to know more about this mysterious stranger. He wanted to know everything about him. Where he came from, what race he was, what his favorite things were, his childhood, every single thing.

However, it seemed as though Dark screwed up already. He had accidentally called Vaati a woman and now the mage was probably more then a little angry with him. Dark groaned.

_'It's only the first day he's been here and already I've screwed up our relationship!'_ he thought.

No. He wouldn't let that one incident completely screw with their relationship. Dark would fix this, and then they would have some kind of demented friendship.

Whether Vaati wanted it or not.

* * *

><p>"Hey, wake up!" the same woman from before called, banging on the door.<p>

Meanwhile inside the room, Dark rolled over on his bed, groaning. He really didn't want to deal with Ganon right now. Trying to block out the loud banging, the shadow being covered his head with a nearby pillow and rolled over.

"Get up unless you want to go without dinner!" the female servant called again.

Dark's eyes shot open as he threw the pillow and blankets off of him. Dinner? The shadow being looked down at his stomach, realizing he hadn't eaten all day. As if to confirm his thoughts, Dark's stomach gave a loud growl. He got out of bed, walking over to the door and opening it. The first thing he saw was the face of the same servant girl from before. She was scowling.

"About damn time. Now come on, Lord Ganondorf wants you and Vaati to meet him for dinner."

Dark's ears perked up at the mention of the wind mage.

"Vaati's going to be there?"

"Of course he is. He's working along side Lord Ganondorf, is he not?"

Suddenly, Dark felt more eager to go eat. If he would get to see Vaati, then he could tolerate dealing with Ganon for a little bit.

"By the way, I see you a lot around here. What's your name?" Dark asked.

"Why would you want to know my name? I'm just a servant." the woman simply replied, voice void of emotion. She began to walk down the hall, Dark following her.

"Because, it seems like I'll be seeing you a lot. I mean, you're the one to always come get me whenever Ganondorf needs something. It'll be nice to know your name so I can properly greet you." Dark reasoned.

The woman stayed silent for a while, looking ahead as if deep in thought. After a few moments of silence, she sighed and spoke once more.

"I don't know what you're up to, shadow, but if you must know, my name is Anri."

"Well then, it's nice to meet you, Anri. Oh yeah, and my name isn't 'shadow'. It's Dark Link, but just call me Dark."

"As you wish." Anri replied, stopping in front of a door. "Go on in, Lord Ganondorf is probably waiting for you."

Dark only nodded before stepping into the dining room. The dining hall was beautifully decorated, despite Ganon owning it. The walls were filled with portraits of the Dark Lord himself, along with a couple of windows bordered with maroon curtains. A long, wooden table sat in the middle of the room, lined with chairs. Finally, a chandelier sat in the middle of the ceiling, illuminating the room in a white light.

As soon as the shadow walked in, the Gerudo king noticed him. He was currently sitting at the edge of the table.

"Ah, Dark Link. Come sit down." he said, waving his hand toward a chair to his right.

Dark only nodded as he obeyed. He walked over to the chair, taking his seat. Shortly after Dark came in, Vaati arrived in the room.

"I'm sorry I'm late." he said, taking the seat on Ganon's left.

Ganon didn't answer, choosing to completely ignore Vaati's greeting.

"Now that you are both here, we need to discuss your new mission." Ganondorf started, resting his chin on his hands.

_'Mission?'_ Dark thought, quirking an eyebrow. Now this might be interesting.

"As you both know, the Hero of Time will be traveling to the Fire Temple soon in a vain attempt to awaken the fire sage." Ganon continued.

"Lord Ganondorf, forgive me if this sounds...doubtful, but I clearly remember you telling me that the Hero has already awoken the forest sage. What makes you think he is incapable of awakening the fire sage as well?" Vaati asked.

"We won't give him that chance." Ganondorf replied.

_'Well, Ganon is unusually calm about someone questioning his plans.'_ Dark thought, crossing his arms. Usually the Gerudo king would be furious at anyone who dared question his schemes. In fact, Dark remembered a particular incident when a servant hesitated to follow the Dark Lord's orders on moral reasons. He had wanted a few thieves to raid a town to distract Link and she was the only one to question Ganon's command.

That servant was no longer alive.

Not only did Ganon force her to complete the mission, but when she returned she was turned to stone. That was the ruthless king that Dark had known since he was created, and he was used to seeing that cruelty from Ganon. It was completely normal and expected. What wasn't expected was this nice behavior the Dark Lord was showing.

Suddenly, the door burst open as five servants walked in, each carrying a plate. All three heads turned toward the five woman as they began to set plates down, each containing a different dish. One dish had salad, another had ribs, another fried cucco, a loaf of bread, and rice made up the dinner. Quickly and efficiently, the women set the table as well and in a matter of minutes, the dinner was spread out on the table, silverware and all.

"Please enjoy your dinner." One servant girl said, bowing. The other four woman followed her action and then they all left as quickly as they came in.

_'Damn, Ganon has his servants trained really well.'_ Dark thought, grabbing a drumstick and biting into it.

"So...what do you mean by that?" Vaati asked, ignoring the food and continuing the conversation.

"Well, there is a demon there named Volvagia. The Kokiri boy won't be able to defeat a dragon as powerful as that." Ganon replied, plucking a few ribs from the plate.

"Volvagia? The lava dragon?" Vaati questioned.

"The very one." Ganon replied, taking a bite out of a rib.

"But...isn't Volvagia dead? According to all of the history books I've read, he was slain by a warrior centuries ago." Vaati argued, only making Ganondorf chuckle.

"Your research is right, Volvagia was slain years ago. However, that doesn't mean we can't revive him." he replied, smirking. "You are skilled in the art of sorcery, correct?"

"Um...well, yes, but-"

"Then you'll have no problem reviving the beast using shadow magic. That will be your mission for tomorrow. You and Dark will climb Death Mountain to revive the lava dragon."

"But what about the Gorons? Surely they'll try to stop us." Vaati continued to argue.

_'Damn, he's not letting up.'_ Dark thought, taking a bite out of a piece of bread he had plucked from the plate a few moments ago.

"Ah, those pesky rock people. We'll just feed them to the lava dragon. Imprison them in Death Mountain if you have to. That will get rid of a possible rebellion and serve as a warning to other tribes stupid enough to even think of opposing me." Ganon replied with a wave of his hand. Vaati nodded, now satisfied.

"Alright then." the wind mage said.

"So are we leaving in the morning or what?" Dark asked, speaking for the first time since he sat down at the table.

"Yes, you two will leave at dawn." Ganon confirmed. Vaati nodded.

"Is there anything else you needed of me, Lord Ganondorf?" he asked.

"No. Your mission was all I needed to talk to you both about." The Gerudo king replied.

"May I be excused then?" Vaati asked.

"Of course."

"Thank you." Vaati said. Removing himself from his chair, he bowed once before leaving the room.

_'He didn't even eat anything.'_ Dark thought, staring after him. _'I think I'll bring him something later.'_

Shortly after Vaati left, Ganon also finished his meal. Before getting up to leave, he spoke to his creation once more.

"Do you understand your mission?" he asked.

"Yes, Lord Ganondorf. My mission is to revive Volvagia and capture and imprison any Gorons that try to oppose me."

"Good. Don't feed any of the Gorons to Volvagia when you first capture them. I will deal with those pests personally."

"Of course Lord Ganondorf."

The Gerudo king nodded once before standing up.

"Very well, and remember you'll leave first thing in the morning. Don't be late and overall, failure is unacceptable." he said. And with those final words, he left.

"I won't fail." Dark whispered, no one hearing him. He stood up from his seat and made his way over to Vaati's untouched plate. The shadow being didn't know what his new ally liked, so he just put a little bit of everything on the plate.

After making sure a little bit of every dish was on the plate and he had the silverware, he left to go to Vaati's room. He didn't need to worry about cleaning up, as he knew the servants would take care of that. The black-clad man walked through the halls, hearing whispers about Vaati from some servants.

"Where do you think he's from?" a short haired woman asked.

"I'm not sure, but he's pretty cute! What was his name again?" another servant with a long pony tail replied with a question of her own.

"I think it was something like Vatrin." the same short haired servant replied.

"No, I think it was something like Valen..." the servant with the pony tail said.

_'His name is Vaati.'_ Dark thought, rolling his eyes.

"Oh well, whatever his name is, I hope he'll be staying with us for a while." the short haired servant said with a wink.

For some reason that simple gesture made Dark's blood boil. He wasn't sure why, but seeing that wink angered him. He made up the excuse that the two women weren't respecting Vaati.

_'They're talking about him like he's a piece of meat.'_ Dark thought, growling. However, he resisted yelling at the two women and continued on his way to the wind mage's room.

Dark continued to walk until he arrived in front of Vaati's room. Swallowing, he knocked on the door, waiting for a response.

"Come in, the door is open." Vaati's voice called from the other side of the door.

Dark obeyed and opened the door, seeing his new ally in the middle of his bed, reading a book. The wind mage looked up, meeting Dark's gaze with a dead pan expression.

"Oh, it's you. What do you want?" he asked, closing his book.

"Um...I noticed you didn't eat anything at dinner, so I brought you something." Dark answered, holding out the plate.

"I'm not hungry." Vaati lied, crossing his arms.

However, his lie was quickly disproved as his stomach growled. The action made Dark Link smirk.

"Not hungry huh?"

"N-no! I'm not!" Vaati retorted, a shade of light pink spreading over his face.

"Why don't you eat something?" Dark Link asked, still smirking. He closed the door behind him and began to walk toward Vaati's bed.

"Are you incapable of understanding Hylian? I just told you that I am not hungry!" Vaati continued to protest, still blushing.

"That's not what your body says." Dark replied in a sing song voice, not noticing the blush darkening on Vaati's face. The shadow being didn't seem to notice how perverted his words could be taken.

Dark sat next to Vaati, placing the plate and silverware next to the purple clad man.

"Come on, eat something."

"No. Now get out."

"What do you have against eating?"

"I don't have anything against eating, I'm just not hungry." Vaati continued to protest. However, his stomach gave a protest of its own with another loud growl.

"What's wrong? Do you want me to feed you?" Dark Link asked, leaning in.

"NO! NOW GET OUT!" Vaati screamed, pushing Dark off of his bed. Somehow, the food managed to stay intact.

"Ow..." Dark groaned, rubbing his head.

"Get OUT!" Vaati shrieked, pointing toward the door.

"Fine, but on one condition: you have to eat something." Dark proposed.

"Fine, fine! I'll eat something, just get out!"

"Alright, I'll leave. See you tomorrow." Dark said, placing the dish down on Vaati's bed. He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Vaati continued to stare at the door.

_'What was that about?'_ the wind mage thought. No one had ever really cared for him before other then Ezlo. Everyone always hated him because of his looks, but this shadow...he showed some affection for Vaati. Sure, he acted cocky and perverted at times, but Dark actually showed kindness to him.

The wind mage looked at the plate the shadow left for him. Of course, the food was now a mess. The salad was covered with a couple of ribs, the rice seemed to be under the salad, and a piece of bread and a piece of fried cucco were off to the side, the only two morsels of food untouched by the glop on the plate.

Slowly, Vaati took the piece of bread and bit into it. He was really hungry, but telling that to Dark Link would have been a sign of weakness.

Needless to say, the wind mage hated being weak. Hell, that was one of his reasons for joining Ganondorf, to become more powerful. The many Gerudo women were expected, as it was common knowledge that Ganondorf was king of the Gerudo tribe. Vaati was prepared for dealing with women. He just didn't expect to see a shadow creature with actual emotion.

He also didn't expect that same shadow creature to be able to make his heart beat so fast.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Dark had retreated to his room. He was currently laying down on his bed, staring at the ceiling, as per usual. He had a feeling he had screwed up, again.<p>

He honestly had good intentions. The plan was simple, walk in, give Vaati some food, possibly stay and chat if the wind mage looked welcoming enough, and build some kind of friendship. But no, Dark had to go and mess that up. Instead of the original plan, he had walked in, and basically acted like a creep, not to mention he acted like a cocky bastard.

"Fuck!" Dark groaned, rolling over on his bed.

With his new worries about the upcoming day, Dark fell into an uneasy slumber.

**Aw...poor Dark. I never make anything go his way, huh? Hopefully some good fortune will be coming his way soon.**

**Anyway, I'll post the next chapter as soon as possible. As always, reviews, subscribes, and favorites are always appreciated! Have a wonderful weekend!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow, it has been ages since I updated this story! Sorry about that, everyone! I know most of you can relate when I say this late update was all school's fault. Second semester just started a few months ago and I am beat. Homework has just been** **KILLING me.**

**Anyway, thank you to all the reviewers, subscribers, and favoriters! I really appreciate you all! Enjoy this update! **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything Legend of Zelda.** **I only own Anri.**

Chapter 3: The First Mission

The next morning, Dark woke up early. Since he couldn't go back to sleep, he decided to get ready. Slowly, the shadow got out of bed and walked to his bathroom. He started his usual routine, brushing his teeth and combing his hair. He looked in the mirror, examining himself.

_'Goddesses, I look awful.'_ he thought. Bags were starting to form under his eyes, and he looked a little paler then usual. Dark hoped he wasn't coming down with anything. He walked outside his restroom and removed a new tunic from a wardrobe. Taking off the old clothes he had on, he put on the new tunic and sighed.

Suddenly, Dark heard a knock on his door, followed by Anri's voice.

"Alright, shadow, get out here! And bring your weapons, too!" she called.

_'I was about to do that until you interrupted.'_ Dark thought, going to grab his weapons. But...what would he need? They were probably going to fight Gorons, so he should bring some bombs. Gorons were weak against bombs, right?

After a few minutes of thinking, Dark finally decided on bringing some bombs, his bow and quiver, his sword, and his shield.

Now having his weapons, the shadow being went to open his door, seeing both Anri and Vaati outside.

"What are you both doing here?" Dark asked.

"Waiting for you, what else?" Anri dead panned, quirking an eyebrow. "Now come on, we have to meet Lord Ganondorf in front of the fortress." Anri started to walk away, Vaati and Dark following her.

While the trio was walking, Dark looked at Vaati, noticing the smaller man didn't have a single weapon on him. The shadow being tapped his ally on the shoulder, making the smaller man turn to face him.

"What?" Vaati asked, scowling.

"Don't you have a weapon? We'll probably need to fight you know." Dark Link replied.

"Tch. Unlike you, I have no need for any weapons." the wind mage scoffed.

"What are you going to fight with? Your fists?" Dark hissed.

"No, you idiot. I use my sorcery to fend off my enemies!" Vaati hissed back, now a little irritated.

"What?"

"I'm a wind mage, fool!"

"Hey, will you love birds stop arguing already?" Anri asked, also in a grumpy mood. "You're both starting to get on my nerves."

"W-wha?" Dark stammered, blushing. Vaati just stayed silent, turning away from his shadow companion.

"Good, that got the both of you to shut up." Anri said, blowing a stray hair out of her face. "Compose yourselves, we're almost to Lord Ganondorf."

Anri's words rang true, and in a few minutes they arrived in front of the fortress, seeing Ganondorf along with about twenty monsters accompanying him.

"Lord Ganondorf, we have arrived." Anri greeted, bowing.

"Excellent." he replied, turning to face them. "There will be some slight modifications to your mission."

"Hm? Like what?" Dark asked.

"While your goal is still the same, you won't have to worry about capturing the Gorons anymore."

"So...we're not feeding the rock people to the dragon anymore?" Dark said, tilting his head to the side.

"NO! They will still be fed to the lava dragon. However, you two won't have to worry about imprisoning them anymore, that will be their job." Ganon explained, jerking a thumb in the direction of the demons behind him.

"So, if any of those insects attack you, defeat them. Show them no mercy. Then leave them, and your servants will take care of them. From there, your enemies will be taken to cages within Death Mountain."

"Alright then..." Dark said.

"So are we free to go, Lord Ganondorf?" Vaati asked.

"Of course. Teleport yourselves to Death Mountain and don't worry about them. They can walk. And above all, remember: failure is not an option." the Gerudo king replied.

"We won't fail. Come on, Dark. Take my hand." Vaati said.

"What?"

"Take my hand, now."

"But why do you want me to grab your-" Dark's question was interrupted as Vaati grabbed his hands and started to chant in a foreign tongue. As the mage continued to chant, he and Dark started to glow and in a bright flash, the two men were in front of Death Mountain.

The shadow being looked around, flabbergasted.

_'What the hell?'_ Dark thought. "How did you do that?"

"I just used the winds to transport us here." Vaati said this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"So..you're a wind sorcerer?"

"No, I am a wind mage."

"...Is there really a difference?"

"Yes! Goddesses, were you created without a brain?"

"Well excuse me, mage!"

Vaati only rolled his eyes. "We're not getting anything done here, let's just get this mission over with."

"Fine by me." Dark grumbled. "Just teleport us there with your magic."

"I can't do that."

"What? Why the hell not?"

"I don't want to use all of my magic you know." Vaati frowned.

"But you're a wind mage! Don't you have unlimited magical power or something?"

"No, I do not. You have fallen victim to a misconception."

"Dammit. Well, where are the monsters who were supposed to be our back up?"

"They're probably walking here as we speak." Vaati replied.

"What? What the hell are we going to do if we get attacked?" Dark Link screeched.

"We do what Ganondorf told us to do. We defeat our enemies and leave them for the monsters to take care of. Our main concern is to revive the lava dragon."

"But...fine. Let's just start." Dark finished, not being able to come up with a good comeback.

"Agreed."

And so began the long walk up Death Mountain.

* * *

><p>After about fifteen minutes of walking, both Dark and Vaati were getting bored. They were the only two stupid enough to climb up the large mountain, there were no enemies to fight, and there was no new scenery to look at. This led Dark to try to start a conversation with the wind mage.<p>

"So...why did you join Ganondorf?" he asked.

"Power." Vaati replied, not even looking at the shadow being next to him.

"What kind of power?"

"There is only one kind of power."

"Not true."

"Then tell me, what different kinds of power are there?"

"Power over water, power of light, power over fire, light power, suckish power..." Dark listed off any elements that came to mind.

"...Were you raised by Ganondorf or something? You don't seem to know anything about magic...or anything else for that matter." Vaati said, crossing his arms.

"Well, I am his creation. So I was raised by Ganon for pretty much all of my life."

"That sounds awful...I mean, I never really knew my parents, but I wouldn't want Ganondorf of all people to be my father." Vaati said, the pity barely noticeable in his voice.

"Hm? But I thought you admired him. I mean, you're technically studying under him." Dark lied. In reality, he knew Vaati probably didn't admire Ganon, or anyone for that matter. The wind mage seemed to be the type of guy who only respected himself above everyone else. Some might even call this quality arrogance. However, the shadow being just wanted to keep the conversation going. Hell, this was the only time Vaati wasn't cursing at him or ignoring him.

"Oh dear Farore, no! I...I don't admire him. He's an awful role model...If there was another way for me to gain power, then I would do that instead. But there isn't."

"Why don't you just...I don't know, take over Hyrule?"

"Oh yeah, of course I can do that! That's actually a really good idea! It's not that there's a powerful dark lord already ruling the land or anything." Vaati said, the sarcasm practically dripping from his voice.

"...You were being sarcastic, weren't you?"

"Of course I was. Dark, Ganondorf is already ruling Hyrule. My power over wind may be great, but my general magic is only average. Ganondorf on the other hand, now his sorcery brought a whole land to their knees. Not only that, but he also has armies of monsters and demons under his command. There's no way I could ever beat him. But, if I can't beat him, then why not study under him?"

"I guess that's a good idea..." Dark said. Vaati only shrugged.

"It's better then being a weakling under his foot."

"Have you worked for him before?" Dark asked, tilting his head.

"Hm? No, I have never worked for the dark king until now. This is the farthest I've ever traveled from my home."

That confession took Dark by surprise. It didn't seem like Vaati had realized what he had just said. Now they were getting somewhere.

"What, were you sheltered or something?" the shadow being asked, smirking.

"I guess you could say that..." Vaati replied, looking up at the sky. He looked like he was deep in thought.

"Where did you live before?"

"I lived in Min- never mind." Vaati cut himself off, realizing what he was about to say. He did not want to tell anyone about his past, it would only give people dirt on him.

"What's wrong?" Dark asked, concern in his tone of voice.

"Hey look, we're here." Vaati said, ignoring Dark's question. "Let's go inside."

The wind mage quickly walked inside, leaving his shadow companion behind. Dark only sighed and followed the purple clad man. He only wished that he could have learned more about Vaati.

Upon entering the cavern, the first thing Dark noticed was the suffocating heat. He understood that Death Mountain wouldn't have moderate temperature, but he also didn't expect it to be so damn hot. The entire cavern was made up of rocks and a sea of lava. It was a miracle that anyone could survive for seven minutes in this hell hole.

"Come on, we have to move fast now. We won't last long in this damn mountain otherwise. Only a few select beings can survive under this damn heat." Vaati told Dark, making the shadow being's eyes widen. He had forgotten that only Gorons could survive under these extreme heat conditions! Suddenly his thoughts turned to Vaati, who looked pale enough as it was. What if he fainted from heat stroke?

"Hey, are you sure you're going to be okay in here?" Dark asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you always worry about me? Do you have a crush on me or something?"

"I...uh..." Dark stammered. Did he have a crush on the wind mage? While it was true that Dark did think Vaati was beautiful, he wasn't quite sure he was capable of feeling love. Hell, he was supposed to be the human incarnation of Link's hatred.

"There's that damn dragon!" Vaati croaked. He walked up to a long serpent like skeleton, kneeling down by it.

Dark sprinted up to the wind mage, standing right behind him.

Vaati closed his eyes and started to chant, placing his hands on the skull of the lava dragon. Dark could only watch as the wind mage started to chant louder and faster, his words flawless.

As the wind mage's chanting became stronger, a red aura began to consume the serpent's bones as flesh began to grow on the dead corpse once again. Slowly, the bones began to grow as red scales began to generate all over the reviving lava dragon. A long mane of fire sprouted from Volvagia's head and green eyes started to glow. With a ear splitting screech, the lava dragon ascended into the air, alive once again.

"It looks...magnificent." Vaati whispered, awe struck as the dragon flew across the cavern.

However, the lava dragon wasn't thankful to its reviver as it swooped in for an attack on Vaati, only for Dark to pull the wind mage out of the way.

"What the hell? I revived you! You shouldn't be attacking me!" Vaati cried.

"It's just assuming we're both enemies! We have to get out of here!" Dark yelled, grabbing Vaati's arm.

"Dark! Look out!" Vaati shrieked as Volvagia breathed a stream of fire right at the shadow.

Dark looked behind him, pushing Vaati to the side and jumping out of the way. Although Dark didn't evade the attack unsheathed, the flames only managed to hit his leg.

"Dark!" Vaati yelled.

"I'm fine! Just get us out of here!" Dark coughed, his leg badly burned.

Vaati ran up to Dark, wrapping his arms around him and warping them away.

The two men reappeared in Vaati's room, on the wind mage's bed. Vaati sighed.

_'It feels good to be out of that accursed cave...'_ the wind mage thought, breathing in the fresh air.

"P-please let go of me...it hurts." Dark coughed weakly, interrupting Vaati's thoughts.

"S-sorry..." Vaati replied, blushing. Making sure not to cause the shadow being any further pain, Vaati removed himself and stood by the side of the bed.

"Here, Dark, let me take care of your wound." he said after a few seconds. After all, Vaati was technically responsible for the shadow's newly burned leg. He was only protecting Vaati from the lava dragon's attack.

"Alright." Dark said.

"Um...I need you to remove your tights...you only burned your leg, right?"

"Yeah...only my leg was burned. I have a few scratches here and there, but those will heal soon." Dark replied.

"Oh! Let me get you a glass of water, you must be parched." Vaati mentally slapped himself for forgetting such an important thing.

"Get yourself one too." was Dark Link's only reply.

Vaati hurried off to his rest room, grabbing a couple of glasses and filling them up with water from the sink. Sure, tap wasn't the best water but it was better then nothing. After filling the two glasses, Vaati rushed back into his room and gave the glass to Dark, who took it and drank the water eagerly.

"Ah, that's better." he said, leaning back. He placed the empty glass on a nearby night stand. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Vaati replied, looking away and sipping his water. "Um...please remove your tights and boots...it's best we cure the wound there first."

"O-oh...alright then.." Dark stammered, blushing. Slowly, he removed the burned rags, revealing his scorched skin. While the wounds weren't as bad as Vaati thought they were, they were still awful. Dark's skin was a mixture of red and black splotches and skin was beginning to peel off.

_'This is all my fault.'_ Vaati thought. He should have kept better control over the lava dragon, he should have pushed Dark out of the way, he should have warped out of the cave sooner. If he did, Dark wouldn't have gotten burned saving him. The Minish sighed and opened a drawer under the bed stand, removing a couple of herbs. He squeezed the juices from the herbs onto his hands, coating them in disinfectant.

"Why on earth did you save me?" Vaati whispered, thinking Dark would not hear him. However, said shadow being still heard him and replied accordingly.

"Because, I didn't want you to get hurt." Truthfully, Dark didn't know the full reason why he wanted to save Vaati, but part of the reason was to prevent the mage from getting injured. He supposed the other part was just natural instinct, spur of the moment if you will.

Vaati stopped.

"What?" he asked, unable to believe his ears.

"I said I didn't want you to get hurt. I would've rather me gotten hurt then you. I don't want Ganon to hurt you too." Dark breathed out.

"You shouldn't have done that. Now look at you, your skin is burned and it'll take days for these to heal, even with healing magic!" Vaati hissed.

"I don't care, at least you didn't get hurt."

"You're an idiot." Vaati mumbled. "This will hurt a little bit." he then said, placing his hands on Dark Link's leg.

"Tch!" Dark Link said, biting his lip to stop himself from crying out in pain. The juices from the herbs on his open wounds strung.

"Sorry." Vaati mumbled as he began to rub the shadow being's leg.

"Damn! That hurts..." Dark cursed, trying hard to relax. He did like the fact that Vaati was doing this to him, but it was so damn painful.

"Ssh...just relax." Vaati whispered, continuing running his hands all over the wounded area. "It'll be over soon. After I'm done here, I'll go and tell Ganon about our little mishap. Deal?" Vaati suggested.

"No! Don't tell Ganon, he won't like it." One of the last things Dark wanted was for Vaati to get hurt because of the Gerudo king's wrath.

"I'll be fine. We completed our mission, didn't we? Besides, the hero probably won't reach the next temple for a couple of weeks. He'll probably have some kind of side quest to fulfill. And by then, you'll be healed. Your body will look as good as new."

"No, you don't understand. Ganon hates any form of failure. I was hurt and I wasn't even facing the enemy, that is a form of failure. I don't want him beating on you for my fuck up." Dark still protested.

"First of all, it was my screw up. So naturally, I should tell him. Second of all, you shouldn't be walking around on that scorched leg of yours."

"Don't tell him." Dark pleaded.

"Sorry, no can do. I'm done here. Take these and rub the juices from them on any more burned areas on you. The herbs will prevent the wounds from getting infected." Vaati told Dark. "I'll be back in a little bit." he added, standing up and leaving the room.

_'Oh goddesses...please don't let him get hurt.'_ Dark thought.

* * *

><p>Vaati closed the door behind him and started walking down the hall, heading toward the throne room. Ganon would probably be there, sitting on his ass as usual. Vaati just hoped that the dark king wouldn't be too angry with one of his creations getting hurt.<p>

The wind mage continued to walk down the hall until he finally reached his destination. Looking ahead, he saw he was right about Ganondorf's whereabouts. The Gerudo king was on his throne, staring at a crystal ball. Gulping, Vaati proceeded forward until he was right in front of the dark lord. Bowing, he began to speak.

"Lord Ganondorf, may I speak to you for a few moments?"

"Of course, Vaati. But look at this first." the dark lord replied, pointing at the crystal ball in front of him. Standing up, Vaati looked into the crystal ball, noticing it showed a village with strange rock people. Stalfos and Lizalfos were attacking the village, capturing its inhabitants.

"Are these the Gorons?" Vaati asked.

"Of course they are. Who else could be so pathetic? They're barely putting up a fight against my dark army, only curling up in balls and fleeing, or attempting to anyway. How pathetic." Ganondorf confirmed, chuckling. "Now, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh...well, Dark and I completed our mission."

"As expected of you both."

"Yes, and the lava dragon is now alive again and ready to feast on any Gorons."

"Very well."

"But...while the dragon was revived, it seemed to think that Dark and I were its enemies and...it attacked us."

"Oh? Did it now?"

"Yes...I was uninjured, but Dark was badly burned. I took a look at his wounds and they looked pretty serious. They would probably take a couple of weeks to heal."

"Use magic on them then."

"Um...that is with magic, Lord Ganondorf."

"...Tch. Useless experiment. Just put him out of his misery." Ganon said.

"What?"

"Kill him. An injured servant is of no use to me. Besides, those shadow clones can be made again and again. They're disposable." Ganondorf explained.

"Sir, please reconsider! It wasn't his fault, it was mine! I couldn't control the dragon and he was only trying to protect me! Besides, he's worth at least two hundred demons at full strength!" Vaati pleaded, hoping he could convince Ganon not to kill Dark.

"Fine, the hero won't be able to enter the next temple for a while anyway. He will be your responsibility and don't let it happen again." the last part came out as a growl.

"Thank you, Lord Ganondorf." Vaati spoke, bowing once again.

"You are dismissed. Now get out of my sight before I change my mind."

Vaati only nodded as he fast walked out of the room. He didn't want to be in the same room as the dark lord any longer, it felt like Ganon could kill him with just a stare. He rushed down the hall and back to his room, shutting the door behind him.

Dark looked up, having finished with his wounds. He stared at Vaati with a curious glance.

"So what did he say?" the shadow being asked.

"He said that you could rest, but you'll just be my responsibility."

"I see. Did he threaten you?"

"No, not at all."

"Good. By the way, are you going to make me move?" Dark asked. He was secretly hoping the answer would be no.

"Well...you're injured. Can you even walk?"

"I can, but it hurts when I do."

"I guess we'll be sleeping together for a little bit then."

Dark resisted the urge to break out into a grin and shout 'yes', albeit just barely.

"So, does this mean we're friends now?" Dark asked a final question.

After a few moments of thinking, Vaati only sighed and gave his reply.

"Yeah, I guess we do have some kind of demented friendship now."

Those words were music to Dark's ears.

"Move over so I can sleep too." Vaati spoke, removing his cloak.

"What?"

"Well, I'm certainly not sleeping on the floor. This is my room after all."

"Alright, I'll move over." Dark mumbled. With great difficulty, he managed to scoot his way to the right side of the bed. "Done."

"Good, I'm sleepy." Vaati yawned. He then crawled on the bed, laying down on the left side, as far away from Dark as he could get.

_'He must feel so incredibly awkward...'_ Dark thought, staring at the purple clad man next to him. Vaati's back was turned, so he couldn't see Dark staring at him.

'_This actually feels...nice.'_ Dark thought again, smiling to himself.

That night, Dark went to sleep with a smile on his face.

**Aw...awkward tension! Isn't it just the cutest? Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Reviews, subscriptions or favorites are always welcomed!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow, it's been a while since I've updated this story, huh? **

**Anyway, I apologize for my late update! My writing/editing mojo for this fandom has been...kinda half dead lately. **

**So in this chapter, spoilers for Minish Cap abound! And maybe some changes to canon...but they're only little ones! I tried to make Vaati's back story decently accurate. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Legend of Zelda.**

Chapter 4: Uncovering the Past

The next morning, Dark woke up earlier then Vaati, the moments from the day before jumbled. It took him a little while before he pieced together what had happened. First, he and Vaati climbed Death Mountain and then they revived the dragon, which attacked them. Then, Dark saved Vaati from getting burned, Vaati warped them away, and now here they were, in Vaati's bed.

Dark craned his head to the side, seeing the wind mage still asleep. The sight made the shadow being smile. Hell, maybe he did have a crush on the mage, but he didn't mind.

The bed shifted slightly, snapping Dark out of his thoughts. Vaati pushed himself up, looking around the room. When he saw Dark, he paused and sighed.

"Good morning." he greeted.

"Hey." Dark replied, smirking.

"I take it you won't be moving around much today, huh?"

"Not really, but if I need to, I can walk around." Dark replied, looking at the ceiling absent mindedly. "I'll take a shower later, that'll be good for the burns, right?"

"I guess, but you shouldn't take a shower, it might make the burns worse. Take a bath instead. A cold one at that."

"Why a bath and not a shower?" Dark asked, puzzled.

"The water will be gentler. Do you want to make the burns more painful?" Vaati explained.

"No, but since I'm not going to be moving for a little while, let's talk." Dark suggested.

"What?"

"I said let's talk. You said yesterday that we had some sort of friendship. That's what friends do, right? They talk together."

"Well, yeah..." Vaati stammered.

"Besides, you owe me. I got my ass burned thanks to you." Dark joked.

However, Vaati seemed to take it literally as his gaze drifted to the side, trying to avoid Dark. Thinking about how Dark was hurt protecting him made Vaati feel guilty.

"Hey, I was just joking." Dark reassured.

"No, it was my fault." Vaati whispered, his guilt coming in full swing. He truly felt awful for what happened.

"No it wasn't. I chose to jump in front of you, and this is what resulted. It wasn't your fault at all. Besides, I'll be up and running again in a week or two, no big deal."

"It is a big deal! Stop playing your wounds off as if they're nothing!" Vaati yelled, silencing Dark.

An awkward silence filled the room before Vaati sighed and stood up.

"I'm going to take a shower, and then after that I'll get some clothes from your room just in case you want to bathe too. After we're both cleaned, then we'll talk, alright?"

"Fine by me."

"Good, then I'll see you shortly." Vaati said, grabbing some new clothes and walking into his bathroom.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, Vaati finished his bathing and brought fresh clothes for Dark Link, complete with underwear. When asked if he wanted to bathe, Dark Link only declined, saying that he would do it later.<p>

So currently, the two men were sitting on Vaati's bed, trapped in an awkward silence. Well, that is until Dark Link started to speak.

"So, let's talk." he said.

"Alright, what do you want to talk about?"

"You."

"Excuse me?" Vaati asked in disbelief.

"I said I want to talk about you."

"A-alright..what do you want to know?"

"About your past."

"My past?" Vaati asked, puzzled.

"Yep." Dark confirmed.

"I...I don't know if-" Vaati stammered before Dark interrupted.

"Here, how about this, I'll tell you about my past too. That way, we'll both have dirt on each other. Hell, I can go first if you want."

"I...would like that." Vaati finally said, looking at Dark.

"Alright, well, I was created out of Ganondorf's dark magic to be the perfect opponent for the hero of time. So, I was raised in the Gerudo Desert under harsh training conditions. Apparently, even though I'm supposed to be Link's shadow, I don't have all of his abilities." Dark said in a bitter tone.

Vaati only nodded and continued to listen to Dark's story.

"Ganondorf never missed an opportunity to tell me how I was only a shadow and that I was basically bound to his will. Apparently, I'm the strongest demon in his damn army. However, I'm disposable. If I don't obey my jackass of a creator, then he'll just make another shadow clone of Link. All he needs is the dark mirror."

"What's the dark mirror?" Vaati asked.

"Hm? Ganon didn't tell you?"

"No, he didn't. Why else would I be asking you unless I didn't know what it was?"

"I'm just going to ignore that sassy remark and tell you what the dark mirror is. So, the dark mirror is basically a supernatural mirror."

"And what does this supernatural mirror do?"

"Plenty of things. You can watch over people, if you know how to work the mirror of course. However, the main functions of the mirror are to summon monsters from the dark realm and...create dark clones of people. But you need a huge amount of magical energy to summon monsters and create new ones." Dark explained.

"So you can create dark clones of anyone?" Vaati questioned. Now this mirror had him curious.

"Hm...well, I'm not sure, to tell you the truth. I would assume that there are some people who you can't make clones of." Dark replied, shifting a little bit.

"But what would protect certain people from the dark mirror?"

"Hell if I know. I think only Ganon knows how to completely work that damn thing. Of course, he won't tell anyone because he's too paranoid that someone will use the knowledge to overthrow him." the shadow being huffed, making Vaati chuckle.

"He's that paranoid?" the minish asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yep. Anyway, I was raised in the Gerudo Desert for my whole life. I've been out of the castle a few times, but only to go fight the hero of time or to set up a dungeon. I rarely get to leave unless Ganon says I can." Dark growled.

"Why not sneak out?" Vaati asked, although he already had a feeling about what the answer would be. Dark roared in laughter.

"Do you really think Ganon would let me get away with disobeying him? As long as he has that damn mirror and his unlimited magical ability, he can keep creating Dark Links! If there's one thing I know about that pig, he doesn't allow any of his servants to disobey him. He rules his kingdom with an iron fist! He will kill and crush all resistance. Why else do you think no one dares to rebel against him? Everyone in the kingdom is terrified of him!" he laughed.

Vaati stayed silent, not knowing what else to say.

Within a few minutes, Dark's laughter died down. He regained his breath, turning toward Vaati again.

"And that's what brought me here today. My mission is still the same, to kill the hero of time. Although I've failed so far, I _will_ slaughter him someday. Then maybe someday I'll be free." Dark whispered the last part, a deep yearning in his voice.

"So, I've told you my story, now what's yours?" he asked.

"I was hoping you would forget about that..." Vaati mumbled.

"Not a chance." Dark chuckled. "Now spill it. Where are you from? What was your childhood like? Who were your parents? What race are you anyway?" the shadow being continued, bombarding the wind mage with questions.

"One question at a time anti-hero." Vaati said. "I can't understand a thing you're saying when you're talking so fast."

"Alright then, tell me about your life then." Dark said, smirking. "Remember, you promised."

"I didn't promise anything."

"Don't care. Now stop trying to avoid the discussion. Just tell Dark Link all about your life."

"...It's incredibly arrogant to refer to yourself in third person, you know."

"I don't really care. Now tell me about you."

Vaati gulped, knowing there was no way he could weasel his way out of this one. He sighed, he at least owed Dark this much.

"First of all, do you know what a minish is?" the wing mage asked.

"What the hell is a minish?" Dark replied, confused.

"Oh wait...humans don't call them minish...they call them picori." Vaati mumbled to himself. "Do you know what a picori is?"

"Not at all. Can you eat it?"

"No, well, not unless you want to eat the flesh of another race...which is disgusting, by the way." Vaati added.

"So what is a picori?"

"Looks like I'll have to tell you the whole damn children's tale...alright, a long, long time ago in the land of Hyrule, monsters reigned supreme. They basically roamed free because no human was strong enough to defeat them."

"That sounds wonderful." Dark interrupted.

"No it wasn't. Now let me continue. That's where the Minish come in."

"I thought they were called the picori."

"Dammit, Dark! Stop interrupting me! You humans call them the Picori. However, they call themselves the Minish. They gave themselves this name because they are only as big as a human thumb. Anyway, the Minish gave the humans a sacred sword, known as the Picori Blade. The humans were also given a mystic light, the light force. that force is said to have the ability to transform a normal human being into a god. However, the light force is not important right now, what is important is the sacred blade, the Picori blade as you humans call it. This blade was entrusted to one human and with great courage and wisdom, the hero drove the darkness away. From there on out, the hero defended the land against the tyranny of the demons, until he met his death. Even after he died, the people he protected worshipped him and the sacred blade he wielded. It was said that he protected the whole land by himself, alone. No monster could stand up to him when he had the sacred blade of the Picori with him. That is the story most people know the Minish from."

"So..what does this have to do with your past?" Dark asked.

"You idiot! I'm a Minish! I was born in the woods!"

"...But you don't look small. I mean, sure, you're really short, but you're way bigger than my thumb..." Dark trailed off.

"Oh for the love of...look, I used sorcery to make myself look like a Hylian and it's all thanks to this cap!" Vaati said, pointing to the purple cap on his head. Dark looked at the hat for a while, trying to find anything unusual about it. He continued to stare until Vaati spoke again.

"You're not going to find out what makes this cap different just by staring at it. You need to know the story behind it."

"Then why don't you tell me the story of your cap?" Dark spoke, once again wearing his trade mark smirk.

"Most if not all of my childhood was spent in the forest, in the Minish Village. It's hidden among the leaves, right under your feet, so most humans don't notice it. While I was still a minuscule Minish, I had a master by the name of Ezlo. He adopted me when I was about...five. I never knew my real parents, they probably left me when they saw how I looked." Vaati growled, his tone bitter and angry.

"Hm? But don't all of these Minish people look like you?" Dark asked. Now they were getting somewhere. Maybe there was some childhood trauma that caused Vaati to close himself off from the world.

"Far from it. My master told me I was so unique, so different, so _special_. However, my peers didn't see me like that. They saw me as a freak. I didn't match them. My skin was paler then their cream colored complexion. Instead of brown or blonde hair, my hair was a shade of violet. And the final difference, instead of brown or black eyes, my eyes were a demonic red!"

Dark was about to protest Vaati's last statement and say that red was a beautiful color, but the wind mage interrupted him.

"What made it even worse was that all because of one superstition, everyone called me a demon! They all feared me. I hated my school, it was filled with a bunch of imbeciles! They just cared about fitting in, even it it was someone else's expense! I begged my master not to send me back there, but he did. _HE DID_! I was tortured by my peers with insults and bullying until my idiot of a master finally grew a quarter of a brain and pulled me out." Vaati continued his rant.

Dark opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it as the purple man next to him continued his angry venting.

"From that day on, I vowed revenge. I wanted revenge against everyone in that damn village who made me feel worthless because of what I looked like. But most of all, I wanted revenge against my so called master. He said that I was like a son to him. I believed him then, but I know better now. I know he was lying. If he truly cared for me, he would've never made me go back to that hell hole!" Vaati roared, furious.

"Vaati, I think you should calm down a little bit." Dark tried to suggest, only for his plea to fall on deaf ears.

"But how would I get revenge? I was only an apprentice. Sure, I was the pupil of the greatest sage known to the Minish community, but I certainly couldn't smite everyone who had wronged me with my wits alone. I needed more power. Oh, but the opportunity came to me in the form of this hat." Vaati smiled, pointing at his cap again.

"You see, one day, my master made this wishing cap. It was supposed to be for the humans, because a Minish's sole purpose in life is to help the people who can crush them under their feet. They go around cheerfully hiding rupees under bushes, or other trinkets under rocks, but not me. I thought of something even better. But anyway, my master made this cap that would grant any wish its wearer had. When he finally finished this wonderful creation, I stole it. He didn't even notice before it was too late."

"What did you do to him?" Dark asked.

"I turned him into a hat." Vaati replied.

"...A hat? You vowed revenge against him and you turned him into a _hat?" _

"Yes. In the form of a hat, there was no way he could have stopped me. If it wasn't for that green hated nuisance, my plan would have succeeded."

'_So he does know Link.' _Dark thought before speaking again.

"Can't you just wish for the cap to make you stronger?" he asked.

"No." Vaati answered.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to rely on the hat. I only used it to get me here. There's no way that I'll let an inanimate object control me." Vaati insisted.

"Alright then."

"Anyway, after my first plan failed, everyone thought I was dead. In reality, I was recovering in my wind palace. As years passed, everyone forgot about me as new generations began to take over. I became an old story parents told their children. While I planned my revenge, Ganondorf visited my palace one day, proposing a deal to work together against a common enemy. I accepted, and that's how I'm here right now." Vaati finished.

"I see...but I'm sorry that you were bullied when you were younger." Dark said.

"It's fine. They're probably being attacked by octoroks as we speak."

"Wait, but you guys have magic, don't you? Can't you all use that to defend yourselves?"

"No. Only a select few can use magic in the Minish world. Most of them just...weave and make charms. Hell, bombs were outlawed for a while. The Minish are too peaceful! Too innocent...I never fit in with them anyway."

"Well, you're not with them anymore. You're with us now. Even though I can't guarantee that Ganon will be kind half of the time, I _can_ guarantee that your looks won't matter here." Dark reassured the wind mage, trying to comfort him. Vaati only chuckled, smiling.

"Thanks." Vaati replied.

"No problem." Dark said, scratching the back of his head.

"It was actually kinda nice talking about my past...you know, getting it off my chest." Vaati mused to himself, looking down.

"Hm? What was that, Vaati?" Dark asked.

"Oh, nothing Dark. Why don't you go take a bath now?"

"Alright.."

"You sounded hesitant...did you need my help with something?" Vaati asked, smirking.

"N-no! I may be burned, but I can take care of my bathing needs myself." Dark protested, blushing a deep red. "I'll go take a bath now."

"Alright, have fun and don't forget your underwear." Vaati chuckled.

Dark pushed himself off of the bed, wincing and barely resisting the urge to yelp because of the sudden pain. Slowly but surely, he walked to Vaati's restroom, grabbing his clothes and shutting the door behind him.

Now alone in his room, Vaati only chuckled, feeling happier after talking to Dark.

**And they're growing closer! I'll try to edit the next chapter soon and remember: any feedback is always appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again everyone! I have brought you all another update! I want to thank everyone who favorited, subscribed, or reviewed! I really appreciate all of your support :) **

**Hope you all enjoy the update! **

**SPECIAL NOTE: So, this chapter will require the use of the Dark Mirror. In order to make what is being _reflected through_ the mirror easier to distinguish, those passages will be in italics. **

**DISCLAIMER: Nope. I don't own Legend of Zelda. I only own Anri. **

Chapter 5: Sparks In the Fortress

Over the past two weeks, Dark and Vaati began to talk more and more. They talked about everything, from hobbies, to insulting Ganon, to spells and everything in between. Soon, the two were inseparable.

"So do your wounds still hurt?" Vaati asked, sitting with the shadow being on his bed.

"Not really. I can run and take showers without my burns hurting." Dark replied, grinning.

"Alright then, let's check them out. Please remove your shirt." Vaati commanded.

"As you wish, princess." Dark said, smirking. Vaati only rolled his eyes, long used to his friend's teasing. The shadow being removed his shirt, showing off his well toned chest.

Vaati raised an eyebrow as he examined his friend's toned torso. Dark certainly didn't look bad.

"Hey, are you alright there?" Dark asked.

"Hm? Oh yeah, I'm fine." Vaati replied, embarrassed for not realizing he was staring. He scooted closer to the other man, running his hands over Dark's chest.

"So...how do they look?" Dark asked, his body tensing slightly.

"They look fine, in fact, it looks like your wounds are fully healed." Vaati replied.

"Great. Now I can go out in the field again."

"Hm? You're going to another dungeon already?"

"Yeah, didn't Ganon want me for something?" Dark asked.

"No, he didn't need you for anything...at least not that I know of."

"Hm...I'd better go tell him I can go out in the field again...We don't want him to throw a fit." Dark said, rolling his eyes. "You know how he can get sometimes."

"I suppose he can get...rash at times. Just come back in one piece, okay? I don't want to walk into the throne room and see you in a puddle on the floor." Vaati warned.

"Don't worry, I'll come back, promise." Dark Link said. He smiled at Vaati before he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. As he started down the hall, Dark Link sighed.

Dark had developed a crush on his friend. Sure, Vaati was his first and only real friend, but the shadow being felt friendship wasn't enough. He wanted to see more of Vaati's smile, to make him laugh, to stay with him, and maybe even...become romantically involved with him. The last part made Dark's face turn a deep red.

_'I shouldn't be thinking of that. I can't be with him, I'm not technically a person.'_ he thought, remembering how he was only a shadow of the hero of time. Over the course of the last couple of weeks, another puzzling thought had been bouncing around in his head. If he was a dark clone of the hero of time, did he have his own emotions, or were they all Link's?

From his life story, it was clear that Vaati and Link did meet at one point. However, the real question was, did they develop romantic feelings for each other?

'_Well, Vaati did keep referring to the hero using insulting terms...and from his story, it did seem like they were fighting...' _Dark thought as he made his way to the throne room. Plus, if his memory served him correctly, then Vaati also recalled that Link traveled with his old master and Dark was pretty sure Vaati wouldn't try anything in front of his former master. He sighed, why did these feelings have to be so difficult.

The shadow being only sighed again as he reached the door to the throne room. He didn't want to see Ganon, but he didn't want the Gerudo king to get angry with him for not telling him he was fully healed.

Gulping, Dark walked into the throne room, again seeing the dark lord on his throne, smirking.

"Lord Ganondorf, I'm fully healed. Did you need me for anything?" Dark called, catching the attention of his creator.

"Ah, Dark Link. Come here for a moment, I want to show you something." Ganondorf commanded, drawing Dark closer to his throne.

"Of course, my lord." Dark Link replied as he walked over to the dark king. "What did you need to show me?"

"Look. What do you see here?" the dark lord asked, gesturing toward his crystal ball. The glass sphere had a picture of Link, who was inside of the Fire Temple. Instead of his usual green tunic, he wore a deep red tunic. He was talking to some guy in blue who had a cowl covering his face. The guy had his arms and legs covered with bandages. Some blond bangs fell on the man's face, covering one of his eyes. The mysterious man carried a harp.

"Um...I see the hero of time and another man?" Dark said, unsure if he saw what the dark lord wanted him to see or not.

"Yes, but what else?"

"They're both in the fire temple?"

"Dark Link, stop only looking at the obvious things."

"Sir, I'm afraid I don't know what I'm supposed to see." Dark said. He honestly didn't understand what his creator wanted him to see. All the crystal sphere showed was a picture of the hero of time and another random man standing on a bridge and they were both in the Fire Temple. Maybe it was something in the surrounding area he was supposed to find? Dark tried to examine everything, the molten lava, the wooden bridge, the many burnt rocks, the occasional sprout of fire shooting from the lava, and the two men having a conversation right in the middle of this fiery death trap.

"You really can't see it, can you? How sad. You see, this is why you will always be a failure. I don't even know why I keep you around anymore. I will be generous enough to tell you what is so important about this scene. Look at the red maggot's body language." Ganon commanded, pointing at the small picture of Link in the orb. The dark king's words hurt Dark, but he wouldn't admit it. The shadow being followed Ganon's orders and looked at his lighter clone, but he still didn't get it. Link was just fidgeting.

"He's fidgeting." Dark commented.

"How could one of my creations be so incredibly dull? Just listen to the conversation they are having."

Dark obeyed and looked at the crystal ball and began to listen to the conversation.

"It is something that grows over time... a true friendship. A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger over time..." The bandaged man began, staring at Link with an unwavering gaze. The hero looked like he wanted to say something but was quickly interrupted by the other man.

"The passion of friendship will soon blossom into a righteous power and through it, you will know which way to go... This song is dedicated to the power of the heart... Listen to the Bolero of Fire..." The bandaged man continued, gripping his harp and flawlessly plucking the strings to play a beautiful melody. He played it twice before looking at Link, silently asking him to replay the melody.

Said red clad man got out a blue ocarina and played the melody, struggling a little bit.

"Play it again." the man with the harp said again. He played the melody once more, stopping after to see if his student would successfully play the melody back.

This time, Link played back the melody on his ocarina without error. The other man in the room nodded once and closed his eye.

"I'll see you again, Link." he said.

Link stepped forward and tried to grab the mysterious man's arm, however, the hero was blocked by a wall of fire. The mysterious man back away before using a deku nut to obscure the hero's vision and disappear from sight. Puzzled, Link looked around to try to locate the other man before giving up. Sighing, he entered the fire temple, his fairy following him.

"Do you see now?" Ganon asked.

"Does...he have a crush on this guy or is it the other way around?" Dark asked.

"You tell me. You and him are almost one in the same after all." Ganon replied, smirking.

_'I'm not him!'_ Dark screamed in his head. He almost yelled at his creator, but thought better of it. It wouldn't be wise to anger the dark lord.

"I believe...that the maggot is in love with that..other guy." Dark said.

"Well, well, the shadow has finally catching on. Yes, the green pest is in love with that man, a man from the Sheikah tribe known as Sheik."

"So...do you want me to try to capture this...Sheik?"

"Of course not! My dark army will take care of that, you need to keep track of the hero's progress. I have some matters to attend to at the moment." the dark lord stated, pushing himself up into a standing position.

"What? But sir,-"

"Like I said, go keep track of the hero's progress, _now_." Ganon commanded.

"Yes, Lord Ganondorf." he said through gritted teeth. Dark then bowed and left the throne room, stomping back to Vaati's quarters.

"How did everything go?" Vaati asked as soon as Dark was through the door.

"He won't put me back in the dungeons and he basically called me a failure. _Multiple times_." Dark growled, his hands balling into fists.

"You're not a failure." Vaati encouraged.

"Thanks." Dark said, cracking a small smile. For some reason, hearing Vaati say he wasn't a complete and utter failure just made all of the shadow being's anger wash away. It seemed as though the wind mage could always make him happy.

"Besides, since you don't have to go to the dungeons, you won't get hurt as much and we can spend more time together." Vaati said, smiling that beautiful smile once again.

"Yeah...I guess that's true." Dark said, blushing slightly. "Hey, let's go to my room. I can show you the Dark Mirror."

"Alright, let's go!"

Both men walked out of Vaati's room and walked into Dark's room next door. The minish plopped down on Dark's bed, watching his friend as he carried a mirror over and placed it next to the bed.

"This," Dark started, placing a hand on the smooth, glass surface of the mirror, "is the Dark Mirror. With this, you can watch people and if you have enough magical energy, you can also create darker clones of people and summon monsters from the dark realm."

"So, in a sense, it's basically a portal to the dark world."

"I guess it can be taken that way. Though I'm not sure if people can enter the dark realm through the mirror or not." Dark replied, shrugging.

"So..what are we going to do with it?" Vaati asked, sitting cross legged.

"Well, I have to obey Ganon's orders, which were to keep an eye on that pest's progress. I doubt he'll survive past the first five rooms." Dark said, waving a hand. "Show me the hero of time." he commanded, waving a hand over the mirror.

Instantly, a picture began to reflect in the mirror. It seemed as though Link had encountered another one of his friends, a Goron. This rock creature seemed different then all the others, being more muscular and looking a little older. Currently, they were having a conversation.

_"Who's there? Is that you, Link...? Oh, it really is Link! You've grown so big since I last saw you!" The Goron said, smiling slightly at seeing an old friend again. However, his small smile quickly turned into a frown as he spoke of the evil Ganondorf caused._

_"I want to have a man-to-man talk with you, but now's not the time. Ganondorf is causing trouble on Death Mountain again! He has revived the evil, ancient dragon Volvagia! On top of that, he is going to feed my people to that evil dragon as a warning to other races that might resist him..." The muscular Goron continued to talk, Link listening intently._

_"If that fire-breathing dragon escapes from the mountain, all of Hyrule will become a burning wasteland! I will go on ahead to try to seal up the evil dragon... I'm concerned, though, because I don't have the legendary hammer... But I have no choice. Link...I'm asking you to do this as my Sworn Brother... While I'm trying to deal with the dragon, please save my people! The prisoners' cells are in the opposite direction. I'm counting on you, Link!" The goron finished. Link nodded and unsheathed his sword. And with those final words and a nod, the Goron unlocked the door to the lava dragon's lair, leaving Link behind to save the rest of the Gorons._

_Quickly and efficiently, the hero jumped on some nearby pillars to reach a cage on the left side of the room, freeing a Goron once he reached the cage. However, the rock creature was curled up into a ball, absolutely terrified of the terrible fate that awaited him._

_"Please don't eat me... If you eat someone like me, you'll get a stomach ache! You'll be sorry!" the Goron said, cowering in the corner. Link only walked closer to the Goron, placing a comforting hand on its back._

_Instantly, the Goron uncurled itself, seeing that the hero of time was his savior._

_"Are you releasing me? Am I free to go?" he asked, standing up. Link only nodded, smiling. The Goron seemed overjoyed, jumping up and down, smiling before speaking again._

_"I'll tell you a secret for saving me! In order to get into the room where Darunia went, you have to do something about the pillar stuck in the ceiling. Find a path that leads to a room above the ceiling right away!" he said, leaving the room._

"Darunia..that must be the name of that Goron who went to go fight the lava dragon...he must be the leader of the Gorons." Vaati mumbled. Dark only shrugged. He didn't really know that much about the other races of the land. After all, he had pretty much been sheltered in the Desert fortress for most, if not all of his life.

"I guess so." he said as they continued to watch Link advance through the temple with ease. Pressing another switch in a different room, the blonde managed to free another Goron.

"Now who on earth would place the switches in front of the cells? Why not use keys?" Vaati commented.

"Well, the monsters were the ones who set up the dungeon in the first place...so they probably set up the cells..."

"And that's why the prisons are so easy to get into?"

"Probably. But at least the monsters were smart enough to capture the Gorons and put them in the cages. That at least shows the attack on the Goron village was successful."

"I guess that's true. But still, they were stupid to make the cells so easily assessable."

"Yeah...that's true." Dark said, glancing at the mirror again. Link was fighting some fire keese, firing arrows at them. "Hey, Vaati. Can I ask you about something?"

"Yeah, sure. It's getting boring just watching how the hero goes through the fire temple." Vaati said.

"Have you ever liked anyone before?" Dark asked the question as if it were the most comfortable question in the world.

"In what sense? _'Like'_ is a subjective term, you know."

"Have you ever, you know, fallen in love with anyone?" Dark specified his question, turning away from the mirror to face his friend. He needed to know if Vaati was still in love with anyone.

"Huh? Have I ever fallen in love with anyone? That's a personal question, don't you think?" Vaati asked, turning to stare at the wall.

"Yeah, but I need some advice and you are the only one I can turn to." Dark reasoned, rubbing his arm.

"Hm...alright. Well, I have liked a couple of people, yes. But my feelings were unrequited." Vaati confessed, gripping the bed sheets tightly as he continued to speak.

"They all hated my guts, but enough about that. So, what advise do you need?" Vaati asked his friend, trying to push the painful memories to the back of his mind.

"Well, here's the thing...I _think_ I like this one person, but I'm afraid they don't like me back."

"Oh? Who is this person?" Vaati asked, genuinely curious. He wondered who on earth could have captured Dark Link's heart.

"No one..." Dark replied, blushing. He couldn't tell the wind mage the person was him.

"Oh come on, I told you about my past love life. Who do you have a crush on?" Vaati questioned, trying to coax the answer out of the other man.

"You don't know them..now how about we just watch the green pip squeak go through the dungeon? Dark suggested, trying to turn the conversation away from him. He was starting to regret ever bringing up the subject in the first place.

"What about if I guess the person you like?"

"You won't be able to guess them..."

"Is it your informer friend?"

"My who?"

"That woman, the one who always comes to get you. What was her name again...Anri? Yes, I think that was her name. Is it her?"

"N-no, it's not." Dark replied. _  
><em>

"You stammered! It is her!" Vaati exclaimed, a grin on his face. However, the wind mage's facial expression didn't reflect his true feelings. He felt sparks of jealously, knowing his friend had a crush on Anri.

"No it's not!" Dark denied.

"Yes it is! Are you going to court her?"

"No! Oh good goddesses no! It's not her, hell, I'm not even sure if I have real feelings for this person yet..." Dark said, uncertain. He thought about how he was just a clone of Link. His emotions were not his own. He probably didn't even he real emotions except for anger and depression.

"Do you think about them all the time?"

"Yeah." It was true, Dark had been thinking about Vaati for the past few weeks. No matter what or who he thought of, the shadow being's thoughts would always seem to travel back to the wind mage. He could start with milk and somehow wind up at Vaati.

"Do you care for her?" Vaati asked.

"Yeah." Dark replied absent mindedly, not noticing the wind mage said her and not him.

"Do you like spending time with her?" Vaati continued.

"I love spending time with him..." Dark sighed.

"What? Him? Dark, Anri is a woman..." Vaati commented, puzzled. This comment caused Dark to snap out of his fantasies about the wind mage.

"I told you, I'm not in love with her!" Dark almost shouted. He was getting frustrated now, why couldn't he tell the wind mage he loved him? Why were all of his emotions tied with Link's? And why on earth did-

Wait.

Suddenly, the realization hit Dark Link like a sack of bricks. If Link was in love with Sheik, and Dark was not, then that meant that his feelings were real! A wide grin broke out on the shadow being's face.

"Dark? Are you alright?"

The sound of Vaati's voice brought Dark back into reality. The shadow being blinked a couple of times, before staring back at his friend.

"Huh?" he asked.

"I asked if you were alright. You were staring off into space."

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Alright then, so you called whoever you were in love with a 'he'...so it can't be Anri." Vaati said thoughtfully, placing his cheek in his right palm. "What guys are around here...?"

_'Please ask if it's you._' Dark thought.

"Hm...is it..._Ganondorf_?" Vaati questioned, a cringe forming on his face.

"What?" Dark asked in disbelief.

"Now, I want you to know that no matter who you like, I will not think any different of you, even if that person is Ganon..." Vaati reassured Dark.

"Oh dear Din, no! I hate him! How on earth could I ever fall in love with someone that is constantly insulting me and putting me down?" Dark Link shrieked.

Vaati was silent, using his arms to shield himself as if Dark Link was about to hit him.

The shadow being suddenly realized what he had done. He relaxed before speaking again, this time in a softer tone.

"Hey, I'm...sorry. I'm just frustrated...that's all. But I guarantee that I do not hold any affection for Ganondorf." Dark reassured his friend.

"But then...who do you like...?"

"Let's just forget about that..." Dark whispered. "Let's just continue watching the hero."

"Alright." Vaati agreed, turning back to the mirror.

_Currently, Link was freeing yet another Goron. Just like the others before him, the rock creature was curled up in the corner, cowering. And also like the others, he told Link a secret once he was freed._

_"Here's a tip for rescuing me! Somewhere in this temple, you're sure to meet up with some creatures that dance as they won't hurt them! Looks like you might need some of the Goron's "special crop!" That's all I have to tell you!" the freed Goron said, leaving shortly after he was done._

_Link opened the small chest in the cell, got the small key and was out of the cell in no time. By now, the hero of time looked tired. He was sweating, he was breathing hard, and he was wounded. His blood made parts of his red Goron tunic a darker crimson color. As usual, a blue fairy fluttered along side Link, warning him of enemies and checking to see how he was doing._

_Despite his various wounds, Link continued on. He fought his way pass various monsters on his way to the next locked door. He used the key on the door, unlocking it._

_Stepping through the now unlocked door, the red clad man was greeted with room that had a stone cube in the middle of the room, with a pillar of fire sprouting out of it. Cautiously, he looked around, trying to pin point any monsters that could be hiding in the room. He stepped into the room, triggering a trap._

_The door was barred shut, the iron bars blocking any chances of escape. A figure in the flames gave a haunting laugh before jumping out, startling the poor man in red. This was the sub-boss in the fire temple, the Flame Dancer. It consisted of a body made of flames along with a black head, which looked like a bomb._

_The demon lunged at Link, meeting the hero's shield. Using his shield, Link deflected his opponent, sending it crashing into the wall. It gave a groan of pain, but quickly shook itself off and regained his fighting stance. The flame demon twirled again, sending blue flames out of its body._

_The blue flames rolled around on the floor, heading straight for Link. The hero tried to slash at the flames with his sword, trying to extinguish them, but to no avail. The flames reached the red clad man, licking and nipping at his heels. Link cried out in pain as The flame beast laughed at his opponent's agony. The flame dancer lunged at Link again, hitting the hero dead on. Link was knocked to the ground, the red clad man crying out again._

_He lay on the floor for a while, unmoving. The flame dancer only skated around the room, spreading more flames and laughing that demonic laugh. The blue fairy frantically flew around the fallen hero, trying to wake him up._

"It seems that the hero is finally dead. He won't be bothering us anymore." Dark said, smirking.

"Don't count your cuccos before they hatch. There's a reason that Ganondorf fears him. He must hold some superior swordsman ship." Vaati countered, not believing the hero of time would go down so easily.

The wind mage was right. Within a couple of minutes, Link was moving again. He slowly pushed himself up, removing a bottle from his pocket. Inside of the bottle was a red, glowing light. A fairy.

"Oh shit." Dark hissed. Vaati only continued to watch, crossing his arms.

_The hero opened the bottle, releasing the fairy into the open. The fairy whirled around the hero, covering him in a golden light, and within a few seconds, he was back up and running. He stood up again, getting his hook shot out and aiming it at the flame dancer. The red clad man activated the hook shot, grabbing the flame dancer's head and breaking it away from its body. Without its fiery armor, the flame dancer was reduced to a bouncing head. The head tried to bounce away, but not before getting hit quite a few times by the master sword._

_Growling, the head jumped back into the flames, this time emerging covered in blue flames._

"Uh oh...that can't be good." Dark mumbled, his eyes following the flame demon reflected in the mirror.

"Hm? Why? What does that mean when it changes color?" Vaati asked.

"When the flame dancer changes colors, it means it is getting weaker." Dark explained. "That thing is done for."

_The flame dancer used the same attack as before, spreading bits of fire across the room. However, this time Link successfully dodged all of the flames, using his hook shot on his opponent again. The flame dancer didn't stand a chance. Once again, the head was separated from the body, leaving the black blob completely at his opponent's mercy._

_Again and again Link slashed at the head before it jumped back into the flames again, emerging covered in green flames. The process repeated, and flame dancer was done for. After being hit with a couple of more slashes with the master sword, the flame dancer gave a final shriek of pain before exploding into smoke. Link exited the room by stepping on a platform and advancing to the next room._

Dark stared at the mirror, shocked that his lighter half had defeated such a powerful demon.

"Oh dear goddesses." the shadow being whispered.

"Well, we both know who's going to be angry at dinner tonight..." Vaati said. An undertone of fear lacing his voice.

"Yeah, Ganondorf will not be pleased about this. If he can defeat that powerful monster with such ease, then it doesn't seem like the lava dragon will be too much of a challenge for him."

"I suppose we'll just have to wait and see, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Let's just hope he dies before he gets to the final boss."

Suddenly, a knock was heard at the door.

"Hey, you two love birds! Get out here! Lord Ganondorf wants to talk to you both over dinner!" Anri called, smacking the door.

Dark groaned. "Sorry, about her."

Vaati only chuckled before replying.

"It's not a problem at all. I think she's amusing." Vaati said, probably not hearing the love birds comment, or at least not paying attention to it.

Dark only sighed before calling back to Anri right outside the door.

"We'll be there in a second, hold on!" the shadow being called.

"What are you two doing in there? Bedding each other?" the Gerudo woman yelled, teasing Dark.

_'Oh you are so lucky Vaati is here..'_ Dark thought. If Vaati wasn't here, then that woman outside the door wouldn't be alive right now.

"Oh yeah, _of course_ we are! It was on Ganondorf's orders too!" Dark replied, the sarcasm practically dripping from his voice.

"That's great." Anri called back with an equal amount of sarcasm in her voice.

"Come on, Dark. Let's just go see her." Vaati chuckled.

In a sort of daze, Dark followed Vaati out the door and with Anri accompanying them, they began walking toward the dining hall. Dark just hoped that Ganondorf wouldn't ask about Link's progress through the fire temple so far. With the way things were going, it seemed as though Link would get through the fire temple by tomorrow at the very latest.

_'That little green annoyance moves fast.'_ Dark thought bitterly. A scowl found its way onto the shadow being's face. He needed to distract himself. He needed to think about anything but his lighter counter part and Ganondorf.

The shadow being looked to his right, finding the perfect distraction, Vaati. Every single thing about the wind mage was beautiful through Dark Link's eyes. The gracefulness in his walk, the way his long lavender hair swished back and forth as he walked, and his tantalizing, pale skin. If only he could just-

"We're here." Anri informed Dark, snapping the shadow being out of his thoughts once again.

"Come on Dark, let's go inside." Vaati said, already walking forward. Dark just stood in the same place, staring.

"Go on, do you want Lord Ganon to get angry at you?" Anri asked, giving the shadow being a small shove. "Go!" she hissed.

Dark walked forward and took his seat, to Ganon's right. In contrast, Vaati took his seat on the dark lord's left. The food was all placed on the table already, making Dark's mouth water. The food looked absolutely delicious.

"You're both finally here." Ganon greeted, grabbing a piece of cucco. "What takes you both so long to get here every time I call you both?"

Neither Dark or Vaati answered the dark lord's question. Mainly because neither of them wanted to be yelled at.

"Hm? Not too talkative today, are we? Well, how is that pest doing in the fire temple, Dark Link?"

'_Crap!'_ Dark cursed in his head. He should have known better, he should have known better then to think the Gerudo king would forget one of his own orders.

"Um...well, he's advancing pretty quickly through the temple." Dark Link replied, trying to choose his words carefully. He reached across the table to retrieve some cucco and a bun.

"Be more specific. Where is his current location in the temple? Is he still in the first five rooms?" Ganondorf laughed at his own joke, taking a bite of meat.

"No... actually, he beat the flame dancer and now he is advancing through the temple at a fast rate. Also, he is freeing the rock people as he goes along." Dark said, bracing himself for the explosion of rage Ganon was sure to unleash.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" the Gerudo king boomed, his yell echoing through out the dining room. "What about the monsters we sent there? The Fire keese, the door mimics, the regular keese, the like likes, red bubbles, and torch slugs? Are you telling me that all of those demons were defeated by a _child in a man's body?_"

"Yes, sir. They are all dead. Even the Flare Dancer was killed by him, all three forms of it. I expect that he will complete the temple by tomorrow at the latest." Dark said, taking small bites out of his food.

"Hm...this is troublesome, the annoying, trifling brat." Ganondorf growled, regaining his composure. He laced his fingers together, resting his chin on them. "He might have defeated the Flare Dancer, but he will not defeat Volvagia. I have to see this hero for myself." the dark king continued, pushing his chair out before standing up.

"You two can continue to eat if you want, but I have important matters to attend to." he finished, leaving Dark and Vaati.

Once he was out of the room, Dark began to speak to his friend.

"Well, he seemed pretty calm about his plan falling apart on him."

"Hm...he may have looked calm, but I could feel the angry radiating from his body." Vaati replied, taking a bite out of a bun.

"Well, yeah. Of course he's going to be angry. I mean, his plan is basically being foiled by a kid."

"But...the hero looks like a man." Vaati commented.

"_Looks like_ being the key words there. He only looks like a man, he's still a kid in his mind. He traveled through time...somehow." Dark replied, scratching his head.

"Well, that makes sense." Vaati commented, his tone doubtful.

"Of course it does, but it could be worse."

"Oh? And how would that be?"

"If Ganondorf became angry at us."

"I suppose so."

The two continued to eat in silence, each of them having a horrible feeling about the next day.

**And that's a wrap! I hope you all enjoyed it! **

**Remember: Favorites and subscriptions are always appreciated, as well as any reviews. However, favorites and subscriptions don't really allow me to see your thoughts on the story such as what I'm doing well or what I could improve on. So, if you can, leave a review! I would love to hear from you all and see your thoughts! :) Constructive criticism is always welcome. **

**As always, I hope your days of Summer are filled with joy!**


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